Nick had left before first light to ride up to the boundaries with a few ranch hands to take care of a few fences that had been damaged in the storm a few nights earlier. His mind was not on the job and he made several mistakes but eventually they were done and could return to the ranch. He couldn’t shift the thoughts of jess from his mind and jack hadn’t called to let him know if she was alright or not, which made him worry even more. As the four men rode into the ranch nick saw jack go into the main house with his father. Knowing they would is talking business nick decided to go and see Jane to find out how jess was. Leaving his horse with the others nick headed over to the cabin. The car was gone and the house was quiet when he knocked realising that no one was home he turned and headed back to the stables.
Jess woke to a knocking on the door and got to her feet leaving the blanket on the couch. Stumbling to the door she thought it would be her mother struggling with the shopping and jack. Opening the door jess stepped out onto the porch. “Mum is that you” she called out but got no reply. Taking another step she called out again “mum”. Still no answer.
Nick heard her voice and spun on his heels to see her. She was standing there looking battered and bruised. Walking over to her he gave her a smile but when she wouldn’t look at him he stopped smiling and paused. He was about to speak when he saw her stumble and fall down the three porch steps. Nick rushed over to her and helped her up. “Are you alright” he asked when he knelt down to her. “Nick” she sounded surprised. “I’m fine” she replied as she got to her feet and pushed his helping hand away. She was not ready for this and the panic played havoc with her insides. She had forgotten how good he smelled, now that her sight was gone her other senses were stepping up their game. Once she was upright she realised that she didn’t know which way she was facing and was going to have to ask for his help. “Nick could you help me back inside” she asked and held her hand out for him. “Sure” he took her hand and guided her to the porch steps. She tripped over the first step and nick caught her which caused him to hold her close to him. Putting her hands out to feel her way up the stairs jess pulled away from him. “Jess what’s going on” nick asked confused. “I can’t see nick. I lost my sight in the accident. Now can you please help me inside” she replied. Nick was speechless as he helped her inside and to the couch. Jess sat down glad for the safety of the couch where she knew where she was. Nick paced the floor in front of the fire not sure of what to say.
“Can you please stop doing that your making me dizzy” she asked. “Stop what, I’m not doing anything” he replied. “The pacing back and forth, back and forth” she told him. “How can you see what I’m doing” he asked. “Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean my other senses don’t work” she was getting snippy at him which was not a good thing. He mumbled and sat down next to her and then he noticed she shifted her position as if she was uneasy with him being so close. He resisted the urge to take her in his arms and kiss with all the built up desire he held for her. “Nick we need to talk” she began. “Ok how about we start with why you left without a word” he wasn’t pulling any punches. “Nick I don’t want to get into that. I saw you with that other woman and I’m fine with that now so let’s leave that in the past, we have more important things to talk about” she explained. “What woman” he protested. They didn’t hear Jane pull up outside. “That doesn’t matter nick. When I left there was something I was going to tell you but I freaked out and I didn’t even tell my parents till the other day” she continued trying to find the right words. A bang on the door disrupted them and nick went to open it. Jane stood with her back to him trying to open the door with her elbow. In one arm he could see she held a large bag of shopping and was about to drop it so nick took it from her as she turned and that’s when he saw the baby in her other arm. Backing away from the door to allow Jane room to enter nick couldn’t take his eyes away from the little boy who was the spitting image of him when he was a baby. “Jess are you alright” Jane asked when she saw nick and the shocked look on his face. “I’m fine mum can I have jack” she replied and waited for her son to be handed to her. “Can you give us a minute please mum” jess asked her mum. Jane took the bag of shopping from nick and headed to the kitchen but before she left she spoke to nick. “Don’t you upset her she needs her rest”. Nick sat back down and watched the baby in her arms. “Nick meet your son Jackson” jess introduced him. “My son. I have a son” he was in awe of the beautiful dark haired brown eyed boy before him. “Can I hold him” he asked and she lifted him up for nick to take him. They sat and talked for an hour about Jackson’s birth and his first three months.
Nick stayed until it was time to put Jackson down for his nap. He watched his son sleep for a while before he left to finish his work around the ranch and then tell his parents the news. Nick had tried to get jess to talk about the night she left but she refused and eventually told him to leave so she could rest. He gave up without argument as she looked like she was ready to drop. He longed to hold her in his arms and comfort her. In the few months they had been together she had gotten under his skin in a way that he did not want to lose and holding on to his feelings for her is what had kept him going. Now he knew about his son he was so full of emotions, joy about being a father, love for his son and jess but he was also angry that she left and didn’t tell him. Throwing his anger into his work nick worked himself hard till it was time to quit for the night.
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